One of the tasks this offseason for the Atlanta Falcons will be signing star receiver Julio Jones to a long-term contract extension.
While the Falcons did pick up Jones’ fifth year option, securing a long-term extension is a must if the team wants to keep him in Atlanta. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said that he and new head coach Dan Quinn have been discussing Jones and the futures of others on the roster (via the team’s official website).
This is much more difficult than it was many years ago, in my mind, to take a quarterback who’s going to be very expensive and take a receiver and a couple other positions and make sure you’re paying market value and also making sure you have enough space on the team to do the right thing.
When asked about keeping Jones in particular, Dimitroff had this to say…
Plain and simple. We want Julio to be here for many years to come.
Jones is definitely a bright spot for the struggling Falcons. Despite only playing six games in 2013 due to a season-ending foot injury, Jones has still managed to put up 4,330 total receiving yards and 26 touchdowns in his four years with the Falcons. At the level in which Jones plays, he should put up top receiving numbers for years to come. Hopefully for Falcons’ sake this happens in Atlanta.
Photo: Atlantablackstar.com